I would like to create a modern interpretation of Japanese mythology.

The model woman is Izanami in Japanese mythology.

Izanami is a goddess with two aspects: queen of the underworld and goddess of safe childbirth.

I am looking for advice on how to enhance the model and process the background to improve this work.

Hi Jun and welcome to critique - All I can do is show you my take on your fine image and what I would do. This may or may not fit your work and final outcome.

Back in Photopshop / Camera Raw - Clarity +9 / Dehaze +33 - Dodge work on the model and white stripes on the road all to help clarity and contrast. Nik tools Tonal Contrast same idea / Last Topaz AI sharpen with noise reduction for more power and impact thank you for sharing...

Jun Sonokawa PRO

I would like to create a modern interpretation of Japanese mythology.

The model woman is Izanami in Japanese mythology.

Izanami is a goddess with two aspects: queen of the underworld and goddess of safe childbirth.

 

I am looking for advice on how to enhance the model and process the background to improve this work.

 

 

Hello Jun Sonokawa ,

Welcome to the Critique Forum. Your image grab my attention and even if I very rarely do this kind of photography, I thought I would share with you an idea I had.

One might think that the goddess being in the middle can work in this instance, but all the "empty" space on the left bothered me.

So first, I cropped the image to get rid of some ot the section on the left. Then I selected the goddess and moved her to the left and made her bigger so that she looks at least closer in size as the people reflected in the window and looks somewhat like she is bigger then them, given her status! Please note that I didn't spend a lot of time trying to do a clean selection since this is just to show you what could be done.

Then I used Content Aware to fill the space where she was.

Then I dused Tonal Contrast in Nik Color Efex Pro to enhance the contrast. Then, I used a Street Scene preset in the Documentary folder of Topaz Clarity to enhance the vibrant colours of the signs. 

I am also showing you a version with some diffusion effect (not on her though). In that case, I did not apply the  Street Scene preset .

This is of course just an idea and it is for you to decide what the final image should look like. After all it is your vision that matters.

Cheers and good luck.

Lucie s.c.

Hello, Jun

Welcome to our forum. This is a fantastic story to me. Good and bad together. Angle and demon at once. I have a simple offer. Why not put the elements that symbolise her into the frame. Here is what I mean. It is not perfect but it carries the items I am thinking about. Just an idea...Have good light. Cicek Kiral...

I have vacillated about whether to add comment to this image but it is kind of cool. I did some homework and looked at your 1x portfolio. You have a nice collection of portrait/Fashion images of women. This is a departure from what I had seen.

This image seems a composite of a woman dressed nicely, a street, an Arcade or shopping center, and shadowy figures moving toward the lighter areas. As an image it is interesing but busy, some have recommending cropping and I think that would work for the subject but remove the intrigue of the background and I assume you tried different crops.

The interpretation that you attempt is a tough one. Not knowing this goddess and how percieved in Japanese Culture I will try to comment.

The woman is fine. The image suggests movement of shadowy people toward the obviously commercial and bold ad signs that seem garish. Do they support your imaginative theme?

- So, first the guardian of the afterlife. Cool idea; she supervises the transition like the boatman over the rive Styx. The arcade is like a tunnel and the shadowy figures fit perfectly But this after life is Garish, Brassy, vulgar full of ads and brightness. So this brings the words of "Hotel California" to mind: "This could be heaven or this could be hell". If that is the theme intended it has a point. I could also see the background toned way down and the words of the ads erased to make it less worldly.

- So how about the guardian of safe childbirth. Well the arcade does remind of a birth canal as well and the figures are mostly going in the direction of more light. But I still don't see the theme working with the brassy signs. The newbord being thrust into our overly commercialized world. Again "this could be heaven or this could be Hell".

There is a lot to work with in this image.